Furnace wall construction

ABSTRACT

A furnace lining wall is provided by securing refractory insulating blocks in place with refractory anchors having enlarged heads fitting in depressions in the working face of the blocks and having shanks extending into the block and fastened by ties to the furnace frame.

United States Patent [15] 3,668,831 Sweet et al. [451 June 13, 1972 [54] FURNACE WALL CONSTRUCTION 3,132,447 5/ 1964 Hosbein ..52/486 [72] Inventors: Larrie H. Sweet, Ramsomville; Nelson H. 22:32:2 Baker, Jr., N agara Falls, both of NY. 2,659,325 11/1953 Honig [73] Assignee: The Carborundum Company, Niagara 2,909,355 10/ 1959 Nelson.....

Falls, NY. 3,019,561 2/1962 Weber ..52/484 [22] Filed: Nov. 28, 1969 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS [211 APPl- 880,526 693,487 8/1930 France ..52/489 52 U.S. CI ..52/484, 52/576, 52/597, 'w Emmin"-Frank Abbott 1 10/99 Assistant Examiner-Henry E. Raduazo [51] Int. Cl ..F23m 5/04, F23m 5/02 y- Browne" [58] Field of Search ..52/249, 486, 707,711,704,

52/712, 698, 699, 484,598, 562, 597, 598, 566, [57] ABSTRACT 596; 1 10/99 7 A furnace lining wall is provided by securing refractory insulating blocks in place with refractory anchors having enlarged [56] References Cited heads fitting in depressions in the working face of the blocks UNITED STATES PATENTS and having shanks extending into the block and fastened by ties to the furnace frame. 2,341,777 2/1944 Hensel ..52/612 2,713,787 7/1955 Rose 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 1 3 I972 3. 668 831 INVENTOR5 LARR/EHSWEET ATTORNEY NELSON HBAKEBJR.

PATENTEDJun 13 I972 3. 668 831 sum 2 or 2 fi ff 3 7 FIG 4 INVENTORS LA/ZQ/E H. 5 W557 BY NELSON H BAKE/2, JR.

ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to furnace wall construction and is particularly concerned with constructions utilizing relatively lightweight insulating refractory blocks for lining the walls and/or roof of a furnace having a frame that defines the shape thereof.

Various methods of mounting blocks in the installation of furnace linings have been used and suggested. In many cases such methods have required extensive modification of the furnace frame construction and/or the use of blocks of intricate form. In other cases a considerable amount of hardware has been required to construct the lining, as clips of intricate shapes and the like were used to hold blocks in place. In still other cases an exorbitant amount of labor has been required. Consequently there has been a demand for a construction which utilizes blocks of conventional shapes and sizes, which uses only simple mounting devices, and which is easily erected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A simple, inexpensive, furnace wall construction is provided by the use of refractory anchors to hold refractory insulating blocks or bricks in place. The bricks or blocks (as they will, for convenience, hereinafter be referred to) may be provided with depressions or dimples at spaced intervals for convenience in positioning the anchors. The anchors, which have enlarged heads, are mounted in holes formed in the blocks with the shanks of the anchors extending into the blocks but not through them and being removably secured to the frame of the furnace by suitable heat-resistant flexible ties. The construction is particularly suitable for industrial furnaces where the material being heated does not touch the lining of the furnace.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of a portion of a furnace the roof and wall of which are lined with refractory blocks in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a refractory insulating block with a mounting anchor and tie therein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting anchor used in holding blocks in place according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a refractory block according to the invention showing one of many possible arrangements of preformed depressions in the outer face thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the pipes or tubes 11 constitute a portion of the frame 13 of a furnace and are held, by suitable attachment (not shown) to the girders 15, in desired spaced array, the girders also being part of the frame. A shell or cover (not shown) is placed around the frame 13 when the furnace is in operation. The walls of the furnace, including the roof, are formed from a plurality of juxtaposed refractory insulating blocks 17. Each of the blocks 17 is secured to one of the pipes or tubes 1 1 of the frame 13 by at least one anchor 19 and a tie 21 associated therewith.

As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the anchors 19 comprises a shank 23 and an enlarged integral head 25. The shank is of smaller cross section and greater length than the head. Preferably the anchors 19 are formed of refractory ceramic material with a T-shaped head and a shank substantially square in cross section. A hole 27 is provided through said shank adjacent the free end thereof.

The blocks 17 illustrated are composite ones with a working face or outer layer 31 of a heat-resistant refractory material and a body or backing layer 33 of an insulating material. Preferably there are formed in the outer face 31 of each of the blocks a plurality of laterally spaced depressions 35. These may be of any shape which will accommodate the heads 25 of anchors 19, but are preferably circular in outline so that the heads do not require alignment during installation. As shown in FIG. 4, the depressions 35 may be spaced longitudinally of the blocks 17. If desired, more than one series of depressions may be provided in the faces of the blocks and, as shown, depressions or depressed areas 37 of semicircular or quadrantal shape may be provided along the edges of the blocks. Such depressed areas may be juxtaposed on adjacent blocks thereby facilitating installation of anchors 19 at selected positions along the edges of adjacent blocks.

In using the novel construction of the present invention for installing a furnace lining, a series of blocks are assembled with their refractory outer or working faces 31 aligned. Holes 41 large enough in cross section to receive the shanks 23 of anchors 19 are then formed, in any convenient manner such as by drilling or boring, in selected depressions 35 and/or in the depressions formed by matching depressed areas 37 on adjacent blocks. As shown in FIG. 2, the holes 41 are deep enough to permit seating of the heads 25 of the anchors 19 in the depressions 35 or 37, but preferably do not extend entirely through the blocks. A flexible tie 21, which conveniently may be formed of heat-resistant wire, is removably secured to the shank 23 of each of the anchors 19 by means of the hole or perforation 27 therein and the anchors are placed in the holes 41 with their associated tie wires projecting from the rear faces of the blocks. Preferably the wire is sufficiently stiff and the blocks are sufficiently soft as to permit the wires to be merely pushed through the blocks. If necessary, however, holes can be drilled for the ties. The free ends of the ties 21 are then removably secured, as by wrapping and twisting, t0 the frame 13 of the furnace thus holding the blocks 17 firmly in place. The same process is then repeated with additional series of blocks until the lining of the furnace is completed. If desired, filler or spacer elements 43 of suitable refractory material are placed between the surfaces of adjacent blocks.

Although the wall construction of the present invention has been found particularly useful with composite, refractory insulating blocks comprising a front portion or working face of refractory material such as bonded ceramic fiber and a rear insulating portion of such material as bonded mineral wool, it will be understood that the invention is adapted for use with other types of refractory and/or insulating blocks and also with blankets or the like of refractory fiber material.

The novel anchors 19 of the present invention may vary in shape. Although conveniently and preferably formed as shown in the accompanying drawings they may, if desired, be formed with circular heads and/or with shanks of circular, triangular or other suitable cross section. The shanks 23 may vary in length as required by the thickness of the refractory blocks with which they are used. It is important that the anchors be of less length than the thickness of the blocks. The length or diameter of the heads of the anchors is preferably from two to three times the width, in cross section, of the shanks thereof. The anchors should be rigid and made of material which is at least as refractory as the blocks or blanket with which they are used. Preferably they are produced by conventional ceramic procedures from high alumina or mullite mixes.

The ties 21 are conveniently and preferably formed of heatresistant wire but tie rods, provided with hooked ends, may be used instead if desired. The holes for the anchors and ties are preferably formed in the blocks 17 as installation of the blocks progresses. It will, however, be understood that when desired the holes may be preformed either by molding them in the blocks or by predrilling them.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a simple construction for furnace lining walls and roofs. The blocks employed may be of standard shapes and sizes, the only unusual feature being the preferred formation of depressions at spaced intervals in the working faces thereof. Such depressions do not, it is to be noted, detract from the usefulness of such blocks where the present novel supporting means is not used. The use of such supporting means, however, is also simple and requires only drills and a pair of pliers for twisting the tie wires. Only the anchors are not common products and these, as can be readily seen, may be produced economically and will have a substantially unlimited life. In the preferred embodiment the heads of the anchors are embedded in the outer or working faces of the blocks so that a wall surface without projection is obtained.

We claim:

1. In a furnace having a frame defining the shape thereof, a wall construction comprising a plurality of refractory blocks and separate means engaged with each of said blocks and with said frame for securing said blocks in place in said wall; said separate means comprising a plurality of rigid, substantially T- shaped anchors, said anchors being formed of refractory ceramic material and each including a head and an integral shank of smaller cross section and greater length than said head, at least one of said anchors being provided for each of said blocks and having its head embedded in the outer face of said block and its shank extending inwardly thereof and terminating within said block, each of said blocks having a depression in the outer face thereof into which the head of one of said anchors is received, and a flexible wire tie associated with each of said anchors, said tie having one end extending into said block from the inner face of said block and removably secured to the shank of said anchor and the other end removably secured to said frame.

2. A furnace as set forth in claim 1 in which blocks are composite refractory and insulating blocks. 

1. In a furnace having a frame defining the shape thereof, a wall construction comprising a plurality of refractory blocks and separate means engaged with each of said blocks and with said frame for securing said blocks in place in said wall; said separate means comprising a plurality of rigid, substantially Tshaped anchors, said anchors being formed of refractory ceramic material and each including a head and an integral shank of smaller cross section and greater length than said head, at least one of said anchors being provided for each of said blocks and having its head embedded in the outer face of said block and its shank extending inwardly thereof and terminating within said block, each of said blocks having a depression in the outer face thereof into which the head of one of said anchors is received, and a flexible wire tie associated with each of said anchors, said tie having one end extending into said block from the inner face of said block and removably secured to the shank of said anchor and the other end removably secured to said frame.
 2. A furnace as set forth in claim 1 in which blocks are composite refractory and insulating blocks. 